Object diagrams enable you to perform instance modeling, where instances of classes in a model describe the behavior of a system. The relationships between the instantiated classes are depicted at a point in time.
You can use object diagrams to explore behavior scenarios or to test your class diagrams to validate the relationships between the classes.
Several improvements to activity diagrams make it easier for you to create and manage partitions, view the contents of structured activities, and control the layout of actions and their corresponding pins. A new partition tool on the Palette makes it easier for you to add partitions to activity diagrams. You also have greater control of their position and alignment, and have the option to display partition notation on the actions in your diagrams.
New subdiagram support for structured activity nodes enables you to view their contents within the structured activity node itself or in a new diagram. Changes to the behavior and appearance of pins provide more flexibility when you create object flows between pins in activity diagrams.
Graphical compartments are now available for nodes, node instances, and artifacts. You can nest several levels of nodes, instantiate those nodes, and view them in the Nested nodes graphical compartment. Deployed artifacts and their dependencies are displayed in the Deployments graphical compartment, and you can view the internal structure of a node, consisting of parts and collaborations, in its Structure compartment.
Deployment diagrams now support tagged values, which extend UML by attaching arbitrary information to model elements. You can create diagram elements as stereotyped elements with preset values. These values of the properties for the applied stereotype are tagged values, which you can change in the Properties view.
New subdiagram support for composite states enables you to view the contents of a composite state region within the composite state or inside a new diagram. You can also add internal transitions to states and view them in the Transitions compartment.
When you add triggers to transitions, you can display the name of the trigger, as well as the events and attributes.
Support for template parameters is now improved, which makes it easier for you to create and update template parameters, template signatures, bindings, and parameter substitutions by using the Properties view.
You can use UML datatypes to define data values in class diagrams, and choose how to display the parent name for classes in your diagrams.
You can now display the operation signatures for messages in sequence diagrams.
A structure compartment is now available for parts in composite structure diagrams, which enables you to display their internal structure, and assembly connectors are now displayed with a ball-and-socket notation.
Improvements to packages make it easier for you to view and manage their contents. A new shape compartment enables you to display the elements that are contained in each package. In addition, you can now to nest packages within packages.
